Tomb Raider Dev: Rape is Not in Our Vocabulary

[Aureliano]

Wow. Such classical bait for feminists and queer theorists alike to hop onto: we don't talk about rape so therefore it must not happen; groping isn't sexual assault; it builds character; you gotta save her because she's a weak lady who can't take care of herself without a (male) player to guide the way.

Seriously, upset gamer feminists, go nuts on this one. Also they made her boobs smaller in this version, and that's probably there to make her seem like a younger and thereby more vulnerable target of sexual violence or something.

 

[loa]

So now we put our hands on our ears going "lalalala".
Then again, that is probably the only response you can give to inane "zomg they said rape builds character" people who keep blowing what the exec said out of proportion so that they may wrestle their strawman that has almost nothing left in itself that has something to do with what the man actually said down with tired appeals to emotion.

This is so grating.
It is also hard not to see them talking about it as a publicity stunt because why, oh, why won't you let this rest already, let idiots be idiots and continue to just make your shitty little game?

 

[blackrave]

Oh,dear God, not this again [facepalm]
Please people understand that "rape" as a word means a jack shit
Even as a concept it have rights to exist in the media
Yes, it is horrible when one person rapes another IN REALITY
But going around offended because rape had some representation in media is ridiculous
Even more ridiculous is being offended because of FAILED rape attempt in FICTION!!!
And if you are offended because you had personal experience of being raped then:
1)My sincere condolences, I hope the person(s) responsible for that will suffer for the rest of the life (although no amount of any words from anyone will change what happened)
2)Maybe this media isn't for you. Because it is similar to Afghanistan veteran complaining about how CoD:MW3 or Battlefield3 are reminding him how his whole squad was wiped out in front of him, and that every time he starts the game he eventually ends up in the corner shaking and crying. If media evokes such traumatic memories, then you simply avoid it (or embrace it if you're strong enough). This really isn't rocket science people.

But don't get me wrong, I DO hate this moment in trailer.
Why? Because only purpose of this scene was obvious emotional manipulation.
It initiates rage in men and sense of danger in women.

And also it is so poorly executed.
The "rapist" simply grabs her and immediately starts to squeeze her body parts
Really? Even rapists have some remains of common sense.
I don't know what exactly was happening from story POV, but it looked like these guys had orders to capture them. And that usually involves tying up. Also even non-rapist would understand that it is easier to rape if person is tied up.
So any adequate villain would try to tie Lara up at first.
Instead we had enemy with cro-magnonian mindset.

But once again I hate execution of this scene not general idea of showing rape or rape attempt in media.

 

[itsthesheppy]

I would bet a million billion dollars they've taken that scene out of the game entirely, or reworked it so the guy stands ten feet away from Lara and shouts "I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ANYTHING APPROPRIATE. I AM SIMPLY BEING A PHYSICALLY INTIMIDATING BAD GUY, BUT I AM RESPECTING YOUR AGENCY."

 

[Scorpid]

*whoops

 

[Scorpid]

I can just see their next press release. "Okay, well yes, of course it's rape, but it's not rape rape."

Yeah they need to stop trying to be technical about it for their defense. If Lara hadn't stopped it it's clear what would of happened. Beyond that they have a much better defense to be had. that being
"It's a story about survival, avoiding getting raped and/or murdered is a part of survival."
"Lara is meeker in this iteration because she's 19-21 and this is her first adventure, and beyond that we're aiming for gritty realism."

 

[CentralScrtnzr]

For some reason it's acceptable to include illustrations of rape, sexual assault, and attempted rape in other media like literature and movies. People seem to be throw a shit-fit when the same content comes to video games; I can only imagine that they perceive games to be merely entertainment for children, despite the median age of a gamer being something in the thirties, as I recall.

If it's acceptable in other media, it is acceptable in video games, period. Rape is just as worthy a matter for discussion as other forms of violence.

 

[Meight08]

I'm not upset entirely because there's rape in the game (well sort of but I can tolerate deep conflicts sometimes), it's the reason they placed it into the game. Rape does not make someone stronger after such an event.. it breaks them if not traumatizing them for the longest time. The way they have the rape scene set up along with the purpose is just really mistimed in my opinion.

I am however grateful she isn't raped but if you have something as deep as that- please don't use it thinking, "Oh rape is tough so toughness = stronger will and hardcore character." No.. rape doesn't make someone mentally tougher it makes them unstable in certain ways. Also depends on how the victim copes with it. We just had a recent article about a brave user who had went through this when he was 7. He didn't become a Duke Nukem or raw soldier after- he suffered greatly and had many issues at hand even to this date. So that's why I am upset at their attempt to use rape as a character development for Tomb Raider.

She isn´t raped the guy grabs her ass and she bites of an ear,breaks his balls,and shoots him in the head with his own handgun.
This kill hardened her and made her a killer.

 

[Deshin]

Speaking only for myself: guess how sick to death I am of female characters getting sexually victimized in fiction. Go ahead, toss out an estimate. Lara Croft was one of the few who hadn't been caught up in that particular cliche, and now here we are again.

Oh come on, really? It's a cliche because it's a legitimate hazard. Lara Croft goes around the globe into ruins and ancient temples to go treasure hunting and on the way she more often than not bumps into other treasure hunters, bandits, militia, hired mercs, etc. I'm pretty sure she has to put up with "attempted" rape every friggin weekend. You think some bandit looting a temple isn't going to turn around and see Ms. Big Tits waltz through the main door and NOT want to get a piece of her?

Pick any Tomb Raider game, a good 50% of the human enemies she killed would have probably raped her given the chance; half of them probably wouldn't have even minded if she was alive or not.

 

[rosac]

So a guy who's been stuck on an island with just his male colleagues probably for some amount of time, looks like a mercenary type, attempts to rape a 20 something girl, gets himself bitten, kicked in the nuts and killed.

Its a massive cliche, but to me it makes sense, in a twisted way, for this to be in Lara's origin story. THIS was what caused her to finally kill another human (or at least, thats the impression I got from the trailer.) This moment was the straw that broke the camels back, and out of desperation, she kills a guy.

The first time she kills a human being. Kind of important for an action Heroine. It shows her moving from semi-helpless woman (Quite literally, as she is bound and injured) to someone able to defend herself from others. Just my 2 cents.

 

[90sgamer]

Video games are art and art is a reflection of reality. Rape is part of our reality. Bad guys do bad things and rape is a bad thing. Ergo, it makes sense for some bad guys in some video games to want to rape people. In any case, Tomb Raider has no rape that anyone is aware of. It has a guy who maybe might have wanted to rape Laura. It's very soft and implied, like a Disney movie. Get over it. I refuse to accommodate your damaged, touchy feeley needs. I want my story devices to be potent and I want them that way without consideration for the small number of people who might be injured by them because those people have choices that can let them live the comfortable life they seek. Avoiding this game is one such choice.

 

[veloper]

I would bet a million billion dollars they've taken that scene out of the game entirely, or reworked it so the guy stands ten feet away from Lara and shouts "I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ANYTHING APPROPRIATE. I AM SIMPLY BEING A PHYSICALLY INTIMIDATING BAD GUY, BUT I AM RESPECTING YOUR AGENCY."

That's way too eloquient for mr. Badguy and the added effort is unnecesary.
It's just that rape isn't in his "vocabulary", making it okay by CD developer logic.

 

[CplDustov]

According to Crystal Dynamics, a little groping doesn't constitute sexual assault.

Oh dear, that just sounds so pervy.

I'd rather they just stick to their guns though, this just seems like them backing down.

'Oh shit, we've caused a controversy!'
'Claim it was just a misunderstanding.'
'Crisis averted.'

Step 4: Profit?

OT: Why is Lara beating up ripping ears and killing someone who tried to grope/rape/inappropriately touch (and/or all of the above) her is controversial other than "you can't include rape in a game" type thinking. Surely, it shows her strength physically and psychologically. In the short time of the trailer I felt really satisfied seeing him get what's coming to him.

 

[Alterego-X]

Crystal Dynamics: So, Lara goes through all these hardships, gets injured, her friend is missing, she even almost gets raped, then she eventually kills someone for the first time, and she is building up from there...

Gaming sites: LARA CROFT'S BACKSTORY IS A RAPE SCENE!!!

Crystal Dynamics: Uh, no, that phrase was misleading, there was only that groping scene that you already saw in the trailer, but the game isn't exactly based on a "sexual assault" theme...

Gaming sites: ACCORDING TO TOMB RAIDER DEVELOPERS, GROPING ISN'T SEXUAL ASSAULT!!!

Crystal Dynamics: Well, the phrases imply different things, I mean, rape would be a more dramatic theme to cover, while the scene that we have is just a part of the general suspenseful atmosphere.

Gaming sites: CRYSTAL DYNAMICS SAYS GROPING IS "PART OF THE GENERAL ... ATMOSPHERE"!!!

Crystal Dynamics: Hey, it's not that it's there as an important theme all along, the game is about survival, and suffering through hardships, we just thought that implying that the thugs stranded on an empty island might potentially be horny as well would be reasonable.

Gaming sites: CYSTAL DYNAMICS JUSTIFIES RAPE AS "REASONABLE"!!!

Crystal Dynamics: Of course, we don't want to sound disrespectul with sexual assault victims, but we hope that most gamers' intelligence is enough to know the difference between reality and fantasy

Gaming sites: RAPE SCENE IS "GAMERS' ... FANTASY", SAYS TOMB RAIDER PRODUCER!!!

Crystal Dynamics: OK, WE JUST HATE WOMEN, AND WE WANT TO SEE THEM ALL GETTING RAPED, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR??? YOU GUYS CAN ALL SUCK MY DICK!!!

Gaming sites: NEW TOMB RAIDER TO FEATURE HOMOSEXUAL FELLATIO SCENE!

 

[lacktheknack]

The sad part of it all is that this is the definition of "overblown". I've done a lot of digging, and this is what I've come out with:

1. An aggressor approaches Lara.
2. The aggressor touches her thigh and moves close to kiss her.
3. She CRUSHES his genitals with her knee.
4. He dies from fatal shot to the face.
5. It doesn't happen again.

That doesn't constitute sexual assault, let alone rape. It's almost spectacular how safe Crystal Dynamics are playing it. But hey, don't let THAT get in the way of a good obsession for us to fight about over the course of 9001 threads.

EDIT: To avoid the quote flood: No, touching someone's thigh does not constitute sexual assault any more than grabbing someone's arm. Had he of succeeded in kissing or properly groping her, that would be sexual assault... he doesn't.

Okay, well the law doesn't agree with you. He's touching her in an unwanted sexual way which constitutes sexual assualt, AND if you read the wikipedia page on groping (legally considered a form of sexual assualt)it lists the thigh as a common area of assault. Other than that I agree with you, or at least the hoopla over the trailer. Didn't find much wrong with it. The guys comment on the other hand were just stupid.

Well, never mind, then. Still, the word "rape" should never have come into play.

And I'll certainly agree that Ron Rosenberg should be given a dunce cap and placed in a corner for a couple weeks. As should Karl Stewart, apparently.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Crystal Dynamics Developer: LARA CROFT'S BACKSTORY IS A RAPE SCENE!!!

Crystal Dynamics PR: Uh, no, that phrase was misleading, there was only that groping scene that you already saw in the trailer, but the game isn't exactly based on a "sexual assault" theme... and isn't in our vocabulary any more.

Fixed.

The controversy over this game is based on skeevy developer quotes that are skeevy in context.